The Twists of Fate
by MindfulEscape
Summary: Loki is sent down by the Chitauri to prove his loyalty, and to learn more about the Tesseract He quickly finds much more than he bargained for, when he meets a bright, young scientist hand-picked by SHIELD to research the Tesseract for their own gains…
1. Chapter 1

_Hello Readers! I am posting this story because I have felt that it was high time for me to take a stab at a Loki fan fiction. My other story, The Secret Passage, will temporarily be on hold until I feel a connection with it again. As for now, I will be working on this story._

_For those of you who have read my past work, this story will be a little different. I have my best friend, Wordsmith, who will aid me in the editing and storyline for this work. That said, my chapters may take some time till they are released. But do not fear, faithful readers, this means that the work you are reading will be made with careful consideration. _

_I also would like to take the author's notes as a time when I may be able to offer music suggestions when I see fit. For this first chapter I listened to :_

_Part One: Maestro-Hans Zimmer (from The Holiday OST)_

_Part Three: Chaos is a Ladder-Ramin Djawadi (from Game of Thrones Season 3 OST)_

_These are suggestions to help along with the experience of reading the story. You do not have to follow them, but they will make the journey more enjoyable._

_Just to clarify, all characters and cross storylines belong to Marvel._

_Happy Reading, everyone!_

**Chapter 1**

Mary Evans walked through the courtyard of her university, smelling the brisk autumn wind that whipped through her hair. The twisted Oak trees dropped their golden leaves down to the ground, floating and fluttering in the chilled breeze all the way to the sidewalk, crunching beneath Mary's feet as she walked. November, her favorite time of year; when the Oregon weather would turn colder and the leaves would paint the campus glorious shades of golden orange and blood red. She breathed in a sigh of relief; she just completed her first midterm of the term, and she had a feeling she passed it with flying colors. Thermodynamics had always been her favorite subject, and she couldn't help but feel a burst of confidence at every step she took down the walkway.

The world was her oyster; she was going graduating early this term, with a Masters in Quantum physicals and a bright future ahead of her. Her father had gotten her a temporary job as a receptionist in a doctor's office; it wasn't much, but it was a start for her. She and her boyfriend were moving in together right after christmas, and she was almost sure that he was about to ask her the question. She, of course, was going to say yes.

But, each day, Mary realized that her life in college was going to end, and what seemed to be a monotonous existence would begin. She had a deep sense of fear that lay within her. She hated the unexpected, but how she loathed the predictable as well. She could see her perfect, fairytale life laid out at her feet, but was it what her heart truly wanted? Was this the life she wished to lead until her life ran it's course?

She shoved these silly notions out of her head, for that's all they were, the silly dreams of the little child still inside her that longed for adventure. She had to grow up, she thought, she had to live the safe, traditional life she was destined for. There are no magical endings for grown ups, she reasoned.

Consumed by the mental dialogue taking place in her head, she almost forgot where she was headed. Mary shook her head and pulled her mind back to reality, remembering that she was headed to the Student Union, to meet with her best friend, Jill, for coffee. She trotted lightly up the grand, marble staircase at the entrance of the drafty, brick Student Union. The smell of roasting coffee and the musical sound of the grand piano tickled Mary's senses as she opened the large, cast iron doors. Her heels made an echoey sound that danced around the yellowed, stone walls and up to the grand foyer ceiling that towered over her head. This is is my favorite place on campus, she thought, as she smiled to herself while reflecting on the nostalgia these walls held.

As soon as Mary entered, she spotted Jill sitting at a small table by the coffee stand, waving enthusiastically at her. Mary grinned at Jill, and rushed over to her to take the vacant seat at the table she sat at. Jill immediately rose to embrace Mary; it had been many weeks since they had seen each other, much longer than what they were used to after living down the hall from each other in the dorms for several years.

"It has been way too long!" Mary said, placing her chin on Jill's shoulder as they embraced.

"Don't blame me for that" Jill said, letting go of the tight hold she had of Mary's shoulders, "you were the one who was all busy with school and David and what not".

"Psh, oh please" Mary countered, rolling her eyes in Jill's direction, "every time I texted you, you were up to something lame".

"Don't be rude", Jill huffed, as she masked a fake look a disapproval on her face, "just because you weren't involved in my plans doesn't make them lame".

"Thats what you think" Mary chided quietly. Jill slapped her shoulder in a joking manner. The two friends laughed jovially together, enjoying the long-missed banter that their friendship always carried.

"So whats up with you?" Jill said, breaking off of her laughter, "how have you been? How are things with David?"

"Oh they are fine", Mary said, half-heartedly, "just the same old same old".

"So he didn't ask you yet?" Jill asked, urging Mary to tell her more.

"Nope" Mary shrugged nonchalantly, far too casually for someone who was looking forward to being engaged to their boyfriend.

Jill picked up on Mary's cavalier attitude rather quickly. "What's going on?" she asked, "you seem indifferent..what are you not telling me?"

"I don't know what you mean" Mary retorted defensively.

"Sure you don't" Jill said, "Miss 'Cooler than a Cucumber' attitude when she finds out her boyfriend of 3 years is proposing!"

"What?" Mary said, chuckling at Jill's theatrics, "I don't want to get my hopes up, I guess".

"Liar!" Jill said, yelling at her suddenly and pointing a singular finger in her face; her actions bore a strange resemblance to those of Miracle Max's wife in Princess Bride. Many bystanders turned to look at the sudden commotion.

"Oh my god Jill..." Mary whispered, immediately turning her steadily reddening features away from view.

"Well don't lie to me", Jill said matter-of-factly, "then I won't have to call you out".

Mary sighed in defeat as she looked at her dear friend from across the table. There was no hiding her true feelings from her best friend, she thought. There was only one way out of this, and that would be with the truth.

"Fine" Mary said, with another sigh of defeat, "I've just been looking at everything that's happening, you know with me graduating and what not. I just feel like everything is so planned out for me, and that it all feels so predictable. I get the guy, the job, the perfect life. I just wish I had...some sort of adventure. You know?"

Jill listened with careful attentiveness, her eyes were narrowed as she scrutinized every word that Mary had said. There was one thing that Mary knew in talking to Jill, that she would only get full honesty, and nothing less.

"I just think you're afraid of the next step", Jill said, after some time of careful thought.

"How do you mean", Mary inquired.

"I feel that you are scared about what will come", Jill said, "and you're afraid of commitment and trust. You always have been, remember when you first started dating David?"

How could Mary forget, she thought to herself, it seemed like it was only yesterday. She remembered the late nights talking to Jill when they first met in the dorms, and sharing all of her fears and worries with Jill. She was never one to easily trust, and David was no exception to that rule.

"I guess I could see that", Mary said, absent-mindedly staring at the cup of coffee Jill had gotten her; Soy Mocha, her favorite.

"It will be okay", Jill said, a comforting smile crossed her face, "just trust me, he is the right guy for you. I can see it, we all can. You will be very happy with him, and you guys will have a great life".

Mary looked up at Jill and returned her smile, at the same time her heart was screaming to be set free.

Mary and Jill finished their drinks, hugged their goodbyes, and went their separate ways. As Mary walked towards her next class, she surveyed the scenery of the campus. It was in between classes, and students bustled through the walkways, focused on not being late to their next class.

As Mary walked through the winding, concrete pathways through the old university buildings, she noticed a strange sight in between the trees that she had never seen before. A man, in a suit, with sunglasses on his face, stood just a few feet from her. The sunglasses made it hard to asses his facial features; he reminded Mary of the secret service agents that she had seen on the news. He looked out of place, standing amongst the students as they rushed to their destinations. What was more disconcerting to Mary was not his attire or appearance, but the fact that it looked like he was staring straight at her.

Mary paused, but only briefly; she didn't wish to draw attention to herself if he was not actually looking in her direction. But as she continued to move slowly by the man in black, his gaze followed, unwavering. Mary's pace quickened, in hopes of avoiding the man, but as the distance increased between her and the strange man, to Mary's dread, he began to follow.

Mary's mind raced, she was at a loss as to what to do next. She didn't turn to look or flinch, she just kept walking, as if nothing was wrong. She casually moved her hand to her right pocket, the small, cold case of her taser brushed against her fingers. She grabbed it, and started to make her way to a secluded part of the campus. She turned corners, went between buildings, and she would glance behind her as often as she could spare a glimpse. Every time she looked, he was there. She finally decided she'd had enough of this game of cat and mouse. She turned on her heel, so suddenly that the man hardly had time to stop. She swiftly removed the taser from her pocket, and held it at ready in her hand. Whatever happened, she knew she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Alright, enough is enough" she declared to the mysterious man, "you have been following me this whole time. What do you want?"

The man was stunned by her blunt approach, but he tried to remain as poised as he could.

"Miss Evans, my name is Agent Coulson", the man said in a smooth voice, "and I have a proposition for you".

_Several months earlier._

Loki stood at the edge of space, looking out at the stars and nebulas as he slowly traveled. The land of the Chitauri was made of floating asteroids, and Loki sneered at the primitiveness of it all. How nomadic they were, he thought, clustering on the abandoned forms of space rock; pretending to be a civilized society. But this is why Loki had come here, this is why he had found this ancient species; he was destined to lead them. He was there to show them the way to victory, to lead them as he before always longed to lead.

His father had told him he was born for greatness and that he was meant to become a king; and he would have ruled Asgard to greatness, if it weren't for the moronic blundering of his oaf of a brother. He had to come in and save the day, ruining all that Loki had worked for. Loki felt his jaw tighten and teeth clench as his thoughts dwindled on his adopted brother; how he loathed the very thought of him. All he had ever wanted in his life, was to be his equal; for his father to consider him worthy of the throne. But his father had deceived him, and lied to him; he had never been Asgardian blood, and he had never had the chance to rule. It would always be Thor, and Loki was meant to kiss the ground that oversized brute walked on.

Loki remembered the last memory he had with his non-brother and the man he once called father, holding onto his father's staff, dangling over the stars and the edge of Asgard. He had looked upon his father's face, searching for a look of pride, a glimmer of hope; but the old man had only looked at him, his eyes hard with disappointment and his face etched with a look of shame.

"No Loki", his father words echoed in his mind, "No Loki".

They cut into Loki's heart like a knife, still to this day. His brother had called out to him as he released the staff, and fell into the never ending abyss. He had not heard him, for all he could hear was his father's voice..."No Loki"...

Now it had come to this, now it would all change. Now it was time for Loki to take a new kind of throne, to lead the Chitauri into the pathetic Midgard, and to rule the primeval mortals and to smite them to the ground. The world would burn, and the Chitauri would take the Tesseract. The Chitauri had taken him from his endless fall, and would have killed him, if it were not for his silver tongue. He had convinced them that they needed him, that he would get them the sacred Tesseract, and they promised him the revenge he always wanted. Earth had been Thor's weakness, for the woman he loved was there; Loki grimaced at the thought. How feeble this woman made him, and it was the one vulnerable place Loki knew he could strike, and make it count. His brother had betrayed him, and it was his chance at revenge. He would destroy Earth, and Thor's truly beloved, and then, only then would he feel a sense of retribution.

"'He' does not feel you are ready", a growling, gurgling voice came from behind Loki, abruptly pulling him from his thoughts. Loki slowly turned, and the leader of the Chitauri stood before him. He was cloaked, his eyes shielded from his hood, and a grand piece of Chitauri armor protected his chest. A strange, haloed piece of metal graced his mouth, which was full of blood red teeth that showed as he spoke. He was a disgusting looking creature, Loki thought.

"I don't quite follow" Loki said, venom in his voice.

"'He' feels that you are not ready" the Chitauri leader said again, "and you must prove yourself worthy".

Loki's blood began to boil. "What more must I do for you?" he spat, "to prove that I am 'worthy' of your armies?"

"You must live among the race of the men", the Chitauri leader said, "and learn more of the Tesseract and it's location. If we wish to take the Tesseract from them, we must learn more about the disease of men, so that we may eradicate them and take what is rightfully ours".

"And you expect me to do this!?" Loki said, his voice rising in anger and hatred towards the leader.

As fast as lightening, the Chitauri leader had moved to be just inches from his face. Loki could smell his vile breath, and his red teeth glinted in the starry light. The creature pointed a long, clawed finger up a lone set of steps that climbed up, as far as Loki could see.

"You do not wish to upset 'Him"...do you?" the beast growled in a low, dangerous voice. Loki felt his heart leap to his throat, and he sucked the air back into his lungs. An emotion Loki hardly would ever express, was fear. But this mysterious 'Him' the Chitauri leader referred to always made Loki fearful. He did not know why, but he knew it unwise to upset him.

Loki rose his voice, but in a more pleasant tone. "I faithfully remain his servant" Loki said, his silver tongue being put to good use, he secretly hoped.

"Good, for 'He' will be watching", the leader said, "now...be gone!"

With these words, Loki felt a force push him from the rock where he had stood, and he began to fall through the never ending darkness once again.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story. Music suggestions:_

_Part 1: Nycteris-Hans Zimmer (from Batman Begins: Original Soundtrack)_

_Part 2: Dracarys-Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones Season 3 OST)_

_Just to clarify, all characters and cross storylines belong to Marvel._

**Chapter 2**

Part 1  
"How do you know my name?" Mary asked, her heartbeat quickening in panic; how long had this man been following her?

"We know many things about you, Miss Evans" the man who had introduced himself as Agent Coulson said, in a cool and steady voice.

"Care to share?" Mary questioned in a dangerous tone, her finger slowly inched towards the trigger button on her taser, ready to strike and run.

"Miss Evans" Agent Coulson, now raising his hands to remove his sunglasses, showing his piercing blue eyes, "how about we calmly sit and discuss this?"

"Not until you tell me how you know my name and what you want!" Mary exclaimed, she squared herself, and she felt her adrenaline rise.

"Fine" Agent Coulson stated testily, "does the College Achievement Test you took three years ago mean anything to you? And how about your workings with NASA using the Loop Quantum Gravity theory?

The College Achievement Test...the test she took to decide what her field of study would be? He couldn't possibly mean that test, she thought, that was just the test the school made her take. It was a basic reasoning test, and nothing more. And her NASA work was only a field study, nothing earth shattering. How could this "Agent Coulson" know anything about it? Her eyebrows grew more furrowed by the second, knitted in concentration.

"How about we discuss this in a more private setting?" Agent Coulson offered, and gestured down the small, concrete pathway between the old buildings they had wandered through.

Mary scrutinized him carefully. "And I am just supposed to just...trust you?" she inquired, narrowing her eye.

"That seems to be the most reasonable choice" he stated plainly, his blue eyes glinting in amusement at her.

He seemed to enjoy her defensive nature; but amidst that, she felt that he was trustworthy. After she stared him down for several more seconds, she decided she could trust him.

Mary carefully proceeded down the walkway in the direction of the agent's extended arm, and traveled until they came to an opening, where a black town car await them. Agent Coulson hastened his steps to open the door for Mary. She cast him one last pensive look, which he nodded curtly in return, as if to urge her on. She reluctantly bent down, and slouched into the car.

No one was in the car, all that awaited Mary was the luxurious leather bench seat. Agent Coulson made his way around the car to sit on the other side of Mary. After he had settled, he signalled for the driver to proceed. The town car began to roll into motion, and Mary felt her heart jump to her throat in anticipation. I hope this isn't a mistake I will end up regretting, she thought to herself.

"So what am I here for?" she said bluntly, after she took several moments to collect her nerves.

"I told you", Agent Coulson replied smoothly, "we have a proposition for you".

"I get all of that", Mary tersely said, "but what do my scores have anything to do with this? And what do you want from me?" Mary was never one for stalling. It could be due to her line of study, but she had always been one for straight facts, and strongly disliked beating around the bush. She shifted impatiently and starred the agent down, shooting daggers at him through her eyes. If her testiness wasn't clear to him, it certainly would be now.

"I work for a specialized part of the government, Miss Evans" the agent explained, ignoring her open hostility towards him, "and we have been monitoring you for quite sometime now. Your scores on your college placement test were...well lets just say they weren't anything we had seen before. A high level of knowledge in math and science, but also an equally balanced mind in english and the arts; a rare combination to find. Not to mention, your extracurricular work is truly breath taking. Your work with NASA studying the effects of gravity using quantum mechanics is unparalleled".

"I appreciate the sentiment, Agent" Mary sighed, impatiently, "but I already know my body of work. What I still don't know is why you have sought me out."

" We are getting there, Miss Evans" Agent Coulson responded, his blue eyes flashing dangerously at her, "We would like to offer you a position in one of our research facilities".

"Doing?" Mary asked, now more intrigued.

"Miss Evans, have you ever heard of SHIELD?" Agent Coulson asked, avoiding her question all together.

"No" Mary bluntly replied.

"It stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division" Agent Coulson explained, his posture getting more tense by the second. He seemed almost uncomfortable telling her, as if this were classified information that was to be shared with no one.

"We specialize in the defense and protection of the planet earth, in times of need" the agent disclosed, "and we research ways to defend our planet from the unknown".

"So, does that mean...Aliens?" Mary asked, dumbfounded. Mary had never considered the existence of other life forms besides Earth; not to say that she was opposed to it, she just hadn't thought much about it.

"In a sense" Agent Coulson said, a smile creeped onto his face at her confused expression.

"So what would I be essentially doing, Agent Coulson?" Mary asked, a more serious note in her tone now.

"Research", Agent Coulson said, "on a top secret project. We're bringing in the best, and you're it".

"Am I to know what I'm specifically working on?" Mary quizzed, mischievously raising an inquisitive eyebrow. She could see he was guarded on the subject, and she couldn't help but toy with him.

"That's classified" Agent Coulson said quickly, and it took Mary everything in her power to stifle a laugh; it was the answer she expected, and she could see the irritation in his eyes as he glared at her.

After he noticed the amused expression, Agent Coulson said in defeat. "It's a different source of power" he said carefully, halting at every word, as if cautiously treading along a tightrope of secrecy, "that we wish to study to see what we can do with it".

"And its from another planet!?" Mary laughed in disbelief, but after the solemn, serious expression that Agent Coulson leveled at her, she realized the silent answer he gave her. Yes, this was serious.

"Where would I live?" she hurriedly asked, trying to change the subject.

"We will supply you with sufficient housing" Agent Coulson replied robotically.

"And where would I be?" Mary pressed, making sure to survey every detail of this offer.

"The outskirts of New York City", the agent answered, "the specific location is classified. Your next question I have to assume is about compensation, which I can guarantee will be a healthy sum".

"I want numbers, Agent" Mary demanded, "I'm a numbers kinda gal".

The agent briskly removed a crisp, white piece of paper from his breast pocket and handed it to Mary. She accepted the letter, and on the top of the paper, the letterhead of SHIELD was professionally printed. The typed letter informed Mary of the numbers she wished to know, and her eyebrows raised at every sentence she read; she could hear the agent chuckling beside her.

She wordlessly judged her options in her head, as if to examine her life with the scrutiny of an archeologist in a dig site. She looked at Option A: this shiny new future lay before her. Good salary, nice apartment, applying her masters, doing something she had a passion for; what more could she want? And then there was Option B: the safe route. A loyal husband, a job at her father's firm doing the family business, a reasonable income after she married. The decision seemed simple, but there must be something more to this pretty picture than met the eye...

"What's the catch?" she said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Agent Coulson breathed in a sigh, of what Mary almost thought sounded like relief.

"For a minute", he said smiling, "I was beginning to worry that we made the wrong decision about you, but you seemed to have the deduction skills we have been looking for".

"What's the catch?" Mary repeated, still searching for an answer; her insides twisted in nerves as she waited.

"You must not tell anyone what you do" Agent Coulson said, "no one. Not your family, your friends..no one. They must not know where you are going. You will tell those you have to that you are working at this bank in New Jersey". At this, he handed her a slip of paper, with the name of random credit union, and its address.

"We have a developed cover story there for you" Agent Coulson said, "just in case any of your friends get curious. You can have communication with them, but you cannot tell them anything about what you do or who you are working for".

Mary took time to take it all in; she would leave everything behind. Jill, David, her mom, her dad; for a chance at something she always wanted, a chance to be involved in something bigger than herself. She had an opportunity at a clean slate and a new life, but was it all really worth it? What if this wasn't what she wanted, and all of this was a huge mistake? She would risk losing everything dear to her! But, she thought, when will I ever have an opportunity like this again? They had sought her out, they had hand picked her! This was no reception job, this was working for the government! If she turned this opportunity down, she would be losing the one chance she had to do something amazing with her life, and she knew deep down she would come to regret it.

Mary took one last, deep breath, and gave her final answer.

"I'll take it" she said, assuredly nodding her head.

"Good!" Agent Coulson said enthusiastically, and whipped out his phone. After clicking the buttons vigorously, he looked up to the front of the car. He tapped the glass partition.

"Airport please", he requested

Mary's eyes looked at the agent in surprise, she didn't expect to go at this every second!

"Wait!", she yelled, "now!? I have to pack! I have classes to finish! I have friends I have to say goodbye to! I have to tell my parents!

"All done" the agent replied nonchalantly, "your apartment is being packed as we speak, you passed all of your classes and your masters is complete; well done, by the way. We have emailed both your boyfriend and close friend Jill as you, telling them you are leaving, and we have emailed your parents as well".

Mary's mouth hung open, stunned into temporary silence. She finally came to her senses, enough to speak to him.

"You really have thought of everything.." she said, "haven't you?"

"That is my job, Miss Evans", Agent Coulson replied, smiling at her.

She weakly sat in the black town car, and immersed herself in silence all the way to the airport, thinking of the journey to come.

Part 2  
Loki saw the earth rush towards him, and he closed his eyes as he cringed; waiting for the collision. His body landed with a cataclysmic bang that shook the earth. Loki felt every muscle in his body scream in pain as he landed; the force of his fall breaking the earth caused a large crater to form in the soil around him. Loki lay there, in mind-blowing pain, on the verge of consciousness. He waited, as the dust settled, before he laboriously rose to observe his surroundings. He could see that this was not New Mexico; there were trees and wildlife surrounding him. He had landed in a decently-sized clearing; or what was made into a clearing by his arrival. Downed trees bordered the fringe of the crater, and the moon hung high in the heavens graced with the glittering stars; in the distance, the haunting sound of an animal howling could be heard. The earth, Loki thought, was peaceful like this.

Loki groaned in pain as he rose to his feet, and began the daunting climb from his sunken hollow to discover his whereabouts. Several feet from him, lay his horned helmet, gleaming in the moonlight. He strenuously grasped his helmet to raise it to his head. On second thought, he said to himself, I should wait to wear it until the battle has begun. With a thoughtful brush of his hand, the helmet glowed a greenish light, and faded from view.

He breathed heavily as he made the final climb out of the chasm where he once lay, before him was a sight he did not wish to see. Nearby was a mortal, a man dressed in overalls and a hat, with a shotgun pointed in his direction; the spotlights of the man's truck shined directly into Loki's eyes, making it hard for him to see much else. Loki raised his hands slowly in a sign of surrender, but he winced in pain as he felt the magnitude of his fall.

"Please" Loki said, his silver tongue moving with elegance as he spoke, "I mean no harm, I have been wounded".

As soon as he said this, the man lowered his gun and dimmed his lights, rushing to Loki's aid.

"I'm sorry sir", the man said, and Loki could see it was a younger man, "are you alright?" As the man said this, he wrapped his arm around Loki to balance him, which the Demi-god accepted. The thought of accepting help from a mortal made Loki's stomach turn, but this show was all a part of his scheme.

"Yes, I am able to walk" Loki tried to show a reassuring smile, as he shifted to stand on his own, "tell me, where are we?"

"New Hampshire, sir" the man answered, an accent lacing his words, "where did you come from? Did you get hit by that asteroid?"

"I do not think so" Loki answered the man's question absent-mindedly, "what day is it today?"

"November the 5th, sir" the man answered, hesitantly.

Loki did everything in his power to hide the shock written on his face; it hadn't been several hours he had been falling, it had been several months!

After the man saw Loki's expression, he looked concerned and asked "do you have amnesia? We should get you to a hospital!"

"No!" Loki said sharply, perhaps too sharply, for the man stared at him, confusion written on his face. Loki had to make his move, quickly.

"Have you sent anyone after you?' Loki asked. He could see the man's grip tighten on his shotgun, and Loki waited; poised, his eyes boring a hole into the very soul of the man.

"No" the man said, striking a defensive pose, gun raised in his hand.

Loki then smiled, menacingly; he would strike. Faster than a viper, he moved in the night. The kind man had no time to react, no time to defend himself. Loki enclosed his hands around the jaw of the man, and snapped his neck; like a branch on a tree.

The man fell, dead, at Loki's feet.

Loki smiled with satisfaction as he looked at his prize. The man was dead, and his truck unattended. Loki staggered to the truck, and began to rummage in the man's belongings. The keys were in the ignition, waiting for him to start it. Some human currency lay on the passenger seat, along with a map, and Loki smiled with contentment as his plan had yielded him more gifts than he could have imagined. He would be able to blend in, until he came to where he needed to be, where the Tesseract was.

The Tesseract must be close, which is why he would have landed here. It had called to him, had brought him as close as it could to finding it. It had a will of its own, and he needed to show the Chitauri he was worthy of their armies.

He knew this much, that if anything foreign to this realm had landed here, there was one government agency that would have it. He laughed as he thought of SHIELD, remembered their antics over Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, when it had fallen to the ground in New Mexico. How silly the mortals were, fussing over matters that their decrepit, little minds could hardly understand . He would have to infiltrate deep into SHIELD, the government agency responsible for hiding the Tesseract, and find out exactly where it was, and how much they knew.

After extensively searching the truck, his search for clothes and a disguise were to no avail. He could not wear his Asgardian robes here, he thought with a furrowed brow of disappointment. He cast his gaze upon the corpse of the dead mortal, and closed his eyes. He went over every last thread in his mind's eye, and thought about how the garment fit the dead man.

As Loki opened his eyes, he looked down upon himself, and grinned with glee. He was now dressed exactly like him, even the baseball cap was perched upon his head. He grabbed the weapon from the clutches of the dead man's fingers, and slung it over his shoulders. It was an archaic weapon, but he supposed it would do. He trudged over to the truck, feeling his muscles strengthen by the second. Ah, the powers of being a Demigod, he said to himself.

He climbed into the driver's seat, and sat down, looking at the controls. He froze, contemplating his next move. It only took him several seconds, and then his agile mind served its purpose. The automobile came to life, as if he had known how to drive since he came to this earth. He laughed wickedly as he felt the engine purr with life.

"Where to next?" he asked the air, not expecting an answer. He felt as if the Tesseract would pull him, and call him to it. He moved the steering wheel, and felt his heart tell him where to go. He placed the truck into gear, and moved down the dirt road, a greedy smirk playing on his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello Readers! Hope you are enjoying my new works. Here are the following music suggestions:_

_Part 1: Main Title-David SnellI (from Cider House Rules Original Soundtrack)_

_Part 2: The Presidium-Jack Wall (from Mass Effect OST)_

_Part 3: The Shadow of the Past-Howard Shore (from Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring OST)_

_Part 4: Artibeus-Hans Zimmer (Batman Begins Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)_

_Part 5: Marcus Memorial-Russell Shaw (from Fable 2: Original Soundtrack)_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 3**

Part 1

It had been several months since Mary had started her new job, working for the government as a quantum physicist for SHIELD. Her life was finally making sense to her; she enjoyed her work, David had agreed to stay with her and eventually planned to move with her, also she and Jill talked almost everyday. It was hard not telling them the truth about her line of work, but as she kept repeating the lies, they became second nature to her. Her parents had been less than pleased with her abrupt departure, but they had come to understand her reasons. She was making an excellent pay, and that is all they could ask for; not like they had much of a say, anyways.

Mary walked through the marble halls of the facility as she made her way to her department; confidence exuding from every step. She had come to be deeply respected here, and she truly loved her line of work in weapons research. Her boss and what-had-come-to-be mentor Grant Sanders, had admired her enthusiasm, and had showed her the ropes of all there was to know about SHIELD; even the questions you shouldn't ask.

Mary knew their project was to develop weapons to defend the United States, but for what purpose? None of the staff nor Sanders knew; all they were privy to know was that the government had harnessed an unknown form of energy that could power mass quantities of machinery, more so than any other form of energy Mary had ever studied. The only problem was that no one in the facility had ever seen the source of the energy; all they were able to see were the numbers. Data was sent to them hourly, detailing the exact information they required to construct weapons around it. All that existed in her facility, were empty shells of death, waiting for their fuel source to be placed inside. The itch of mystery nagged Mary daily, and her wish to know more of what she was working towards seemed like an insatiable hunger; but Mr. Sanders had taught her one thing, to never ask questions.

The double doors to her laboratory opened and Mary smiled; she was home. The white walls and floors, the white coats, the smell of soldering metal, the bustling of the workers, and the whirring of instruments. She walked up to the coat racks and grabbed the sterile, white coat that hung on her hook. She gracefully slipped into it, and proceeded to stroll to her bosses' office.

"What do we have today, Sanders?" she said, carelessly leaning on the doorframe of her bosses office.

An elder man with salt and pepper hair and glasses sat at his desk, nonchalantly reading the scattering of papers on his desk. He peered over his glasses, and smiled at Mary; this was their daily routine.

"Still working on perfecting the metal with the new heat signatures we received" Sanders replied, in a bored tone.

Mary sighed in frustration, they had been working on this project for weeks. When they had finally figured out what the perfect prototype for the weapon would be, the SHIELD office had sent more information to them, disproving all the work they had just developed. This happened with prototype after prototype after prototype. Steadily, the warehouses began to look like tombs of never ending failure.

"Have the all knowing powers at be decided to make up their minds yet?" she asked, a smirk playing upon her lips.

Mr. Sanders smiled up at her, saying no words; he didn't need to, his smile told her everything. Until the energy source was fully understood, there would be no telling when their hell would end.

"Very well", she answered, "we will work with diligence".

Mr. Sanders smiled in gratitude; he knew that when Mary said it would be done, she would make it so. She moved quickly to her work station, and began to look at the numbers. So many numbers, too many numbers to even comprehend. To the average person, they would be nonsensical gibberish. But not to Mary, they were a language in itself. They spoke to her, telling her anything she could possibly wish to know about this foreign substance. As she read, she wasn't aware of the person that approached her desk...

"Still pretending to be smart, are we?" a man with a thick English accent asked. Mary jolted from her deep thoughts, to cast her gaze upon a tall man with swept blonde hair and blue eyes. To most people, the man before Mary would be considered attractive; but to Mary, he was far from it. This man was the thorn in Mary's backside that burrowed himself there everyday she had been in this lab.

"What do you want, Warwick?" she asked him, a melody of irritation was heard in her voice.

"Oh don't get all sassy, Mary" Warwick chided arrogantly, turning Mary's stomach in displeasure.

"Seriously, what do you want?" Mary asked, glaring at him now, '"I have plenty of work to do and I don't need you stalling me".

"Well that's just the thing, Mary" Warwick said, smirking down at her, and leaning casually against the edge of her work station, "I need that data because I can work so much faster than you can. After all, we all know I can do a better job analyzing that data than you can".

"Oh and why is that?" Mary asked, smiling, "because you're British? Save it, go get some braces and I will give you the data when you get back".

It was true, Warwick had awful teeth, characteristic of that of a British gentleman. Warwick's smile was wiped away from his face with her words, and he strode off, back to the hole he crawled from. Mary smiled to herself, victorious at her word play; he was always so easy to offend, it made work entertaining.

After he departed, two more of Mary's colleagues took his place, but Mary actually enjoyed their company. Linda and Gary were a brother/sister duo that had been recruited just as she had; fresh out of college, after testing highly on their placement tests. They looked very similar; dark curly hair and horn-rimmed glasses, with less than flattering clothing. The two were never the most fashionable type of people, but Mary didn't mind; their work spoke for them and they had been her solid support since her arrival. They both had focused in the study of Thermodynamics, and were a huge asset to the team. Mary looked up at her two comrades, with a look of bewilderment.

"Is he annoying you again?" Linda asked, glaring at Warwick's back as he trotted away from them.

"What's new?" Mary retorted, "it seems to be the nature of the beast".

It was true; ever since Warwick had asked her on a date the first week she had come here, and she had declined, his attitude had been nothing but sour towards her. She didn't mind; she had David, and dating Warwick would have caused more havoc than it was worth. She quickly came to realize after working there for some time, that Warwick was the least respected of her team due to his pompous attitude.

"What a jerk", Gary muttered, and the two girls laughed.

"Whatever" Mary sighed, "what have you two got for me today?"

'Well" Linda began, "we found out that the heat signatures we just received yesterday have made it so the shell we had created for the missile will not hold it; however the propulsion factor of the missile will still work. We just need to figure out how to make it so it can hold that heat and be light enough; one more milligram of weight, and we'd have a dud".

"Good" Mary answered, "it looks like the recent numbers we received this morning haven't changed much, so we just need to keep our eye on the prize; fix the metal, yet again".

"Sweetness", Gary replied, "can you send us the data after you're done looking at it?"

"I've been done for awhile", Mary said, as she pointed a thumb behind her where Warwick had disappeared, 'I just told 'him' I wasn't to be annoying".

The group quietly laughed in amusement; they loved throwing a wrench in Warwick's wheels, it was all too easy to do.

"Well hurry up", Gary said, as he and Linda began to walk back to their stations, "some of us aren't Sanders' golden child, so we don't get first dibs on the file. Besides, you don't want Warwick laying an egg; we'll make you clean it up".

"Ah shut up", Mary laughed, and she quickly glided her hands across her keyboard, navigating the software and sending the data to her teammates.

She sat back in her seat, and stretch her hands in front of her; cracking all the knuckles in her hands. Time to put the nose to the grindstone, she thought. She sat up straight, and got directly to work.

Part 2

The hours of the day flew by; Mary didn't even know it was time to leave until Gary and Linda called her name and waved goodbye from the double doors. Warwick soon followed, shooting her a disgusted look as she worked. They were always the last to leave; and then, there was silence in the lab. It was time for her to start her second job; sleuthing.

She took a tentative glance around the lab, before she began to navigate the computer in ways strictly forbidden. No one was in sight; even Sanders' office was dark and his office door was closed. If anyone knew what she was doing, she would surely be punished; but she didn't care, she was going to find out exactly what they were researching in her facility, if it was the last thing she did. She had been caught before, by Sanders, but she only got a slap on the wrist. She learned quickly that if she was going to get away with anything, she would have to be very careful and secretive. She typed various codes into the computer, and hacked her way into the SHIELD internal database. Computer hacking had been a skill she had kept in her back pocket, and unknown to SHIELD; she knew that one day it would serve her well, and in this case, it had.

She picked up where she had left off prior; the weaponry defense studies of Dr. Arnim Zola. She had stumbled upon this file by chance, but the complexity of it all intrigued her. Dr. Zol worked for the German Nazi regime known as HYDRA, and had been under the direction of an SS officer Johann Schmidt, and they had harnessed a similar energy to that of what her team was working with. The energy was not named, nor was it discussed. As she kept digging deeper, her mouse guided her onto the files of Dr. Abraham Erskine and his works with a serum that would enhance a man's genetic makeup to be superhuman. It was called the Super Soldier Serum, and there were two human subjects that it had been tested on. One, being Johann Schmidt, had failed and created a monster. But the other, was tested on a man named Steven Rogers, and it had been successful. What Mary read now, baffled her even more. This "Steven Rogers" became a superhero, known as Captain America, and lead American troops called the Howling Commandos to victory on several missions; many of those included the taking out HYDRA's facilities. The project itself had been fronted by Stark Industries, and it seems that he was the poster child for them, as well.

This was not the only use of the Super Soldier Serum; Mary navigated her way through link after link, picking through information. The Super Soldier Serum was recreated by Dr. Buce Banner, a physicist from Culver University. The name rang a bell, but Mary couldn't place where she had heard. The file was very encrypted, but Mary thrived in the challenge. Dr. Banner had been exposed to massive amounts of gamma radiation during his experimentations, and his body reeked havoc on his DNA. He became another genetic abnormality, but this was not in a good way like Steven Rodgers. His transformations were unregulated, and resulted in copious amounts of death and damage; it gained him the nickname of "Hulk". The name finally gained its place in her memory; his work had been in her textbooks when she was in her physics classes. She specifically remember his work with gamma radiation when she worked on her master's thesis.

Mary moved on, looking at something more familiar to her-Stark Industries; if you weren't, you would have been living under a rock. Stark Industries littered the news; being the pioneers of enginuity and finding ways to expand militant defense weaponry. Their spokesman, Tony Stark, was never a shy eye for the camera. His ego was evident, and his grand parties and luxurious lifestyle was displayed on every channel; Mary grimaced at remembering all the news she had ever seen of him. She had to hand it to him though, he was a genius. She typed in his name, and sure enough, he had a file full of dirty secrets. His file contained details of the infamous "Iron Man" suite thatt was created by Tony Stark, but more information she found intrigued her. The suite, was no mere toy to Mr. Stark, but actual life support. Stark had been accosted and taken as a war criminal, to be commision to make a super weapon. After being severly injured, he created the suit, and eventually, his own life support, that would keep him alive. Mary would have delved deeper, but something else caught her eye.

But what did all these men have in common? She looked at the scattered puzzle pieces across her computer screen, she started at the hopeless mess before her. There was nothing, small insignificant facts kept them together, but there was something more here. She continued to read, searching for the answer. She clicked rapidly and typed more codes, steering her way around firewalls and computer blockades. Then she saw it, two little words that seemed to be in every one of these files; two small, insignificant words..."Avengers Initiative". Curiosity peaked, she clicked on it...and a list appeared. All the men were there, plus more. Tony Stark (Iron Man), Dr. Banner (Hulk), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Thor...

Her computer automatically seized, and the words WARNING flashed up on her screen; a loud, piercing beep was heard from her computer audio system. She hurriedly began to type, manually inputting code after code into the system, praying it would shut off the alarm. She cursed as she desperately grabbed at straws, until she found the right code that shut off the alarm.

She breathed in a sigh of relief, and took a moment to collect herself. She looked up at the screen to see what her efforts had won her, and the last name she read before screen went black stuck in her mind... "Thor"...

"Damnit!" she said aloud to herself, or what she thought was herself...

"Alright Nancy Drew", a stern voice from behind her said, "back away from the computer".

She slowly turned her head, to see Sanders standing close behind her.

"Well" she said, sheepishly smiling at him, "looks like I got caught red handed".

Sanders did not return her smile; he sternly raised his phone for her to see, and it was flashing red. 'Security breach' it read.

Before she could explain herself, his phone began to ring. By the look he gave Mary, she knew exactly who it was; SHIELD headquarters. Sanders drew in a deep breath before he answered the call.

"Yes sir?" Sanders answered, "no sir, it was an accidental false alarm, nothing more. Sorry for the confusion sir, I have taken care of the issue myself".

At this, he hung up his phone, and focused his attention to Mary once again.

"You're lucky I like you so much" Sanders replied.

"I'm sorry, sir", she said, shamefully hanging her head at his disappointed tone, "I guess I got carried away".

"Indeed" Sanders responded skeptically, "lets call it a night, shall we?'

He firmly gestured to the double doors, and she awkwardly hung her lab coat on its hook, and walked out with him.

Her mind began to race; what did this mean? Was she going to be let go? Was he going to turn her in? What if this would have been the last day in this lab? She scolded herself for her need to stick her nose where it didn't belong; it always got her into trouble.

"So", Sanders began, interrupting her panicked train of thought, "what did you find?"

Mary looked at him, bewildered. "Sir?" she asked him, trying to sound calm; her wavering tone gave her away.

"You heard me" Sanders said, an amused smile played on his lips.

Mary, dumbfounded, relayed everything to him. The serum, Steven Roger's amazing development into Captain America, Dr. Banner's accident, and the mysterious 'Avengers Initiative' file.

"And then it all went blank" she finished, "there was a list, it had them all on it. Banner, Stark, Rogers. But then there more; I couldn't read them all. I do remember one though..."

"And what was that name?" he asked her, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Thor", she said, searching his face for a flicker of recollection. Nothing; the man's face remained as interpretable as a statue.

"Well" he said, "that doesn't give us much to go off of. Good work, though".

"Wait" Mary halted in her steps, they had just exited from the facility out the large glass doors. Sanders turned to look where she stood, patiently waiting for her next words.

"I'm not fired?" she asked him, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes.

"No, Miss Evans" he laughed, "you are not. You succeeded in finding intel that I only wish that I could; it would be foolish of me to get rid of you now".

Mary breathed a sigh of relief; she had never been more thankful to hear those words. She had dodged the bullet, by a narrow miss.

"But be more careful next time", he warned her, "I can't cover for you every time".

"I will become a better hacker then, sir" Mary reassured him, and he laughed.

He walked her to her standard issue SHIELD car; a nice, black Acura TL and opened the driver side door for her.

"Get home safe" he lectured, as he held the car door, "no more funny business tonight".

"Will do, boss man" Mary said jokingly, and raised a hand in salute as she bent down to sit in the driver's seat.

She started the car, and began to drive from the parking lot; away from work, and to her beautiful, one bedroom home several miles away. She drove into the night, only her headlights lighting the desolate street ahead of her.

They were the last to leave that parking lot, or so they thought...

Part 3

It had been months of patiently waiting, months of searching, and he had finally found his target. Loki felt his adrenaline rush and his heart race as he realized his moment had finally come; his moment to strike. He had been searching to find this place; one of the many SHIELD facilities that would lead him to the Tesseract. He only required one, for after he had infiltrated one, he could conquer them all.

He reflected on the months it took him to get here, and the tedious time it took to get to this place. He looked at his pale hands that were firmly grasping the steering wheel; how many lives they had ended, and how many last breathes they felt. He had tortured many innocent mortals to find out more about where SHIELD had their testing facilities hidden; first a janitor, then a security guard, even the trash man, and that was to name a few. All people who could easily disappear, but none of them able to give him what he truly wanted; control, control of the facility and of the project that was being underwent behind those secure, glass doors. That would give him what he desired the most; more information on the Tesseract, and freedom to do as he wishes. The torturing had finally led him to it... his in.

He watched his prey fraternize in the parking lot of the facility; one older male mortal, and a younger female mortal He would only need one of them for his plan to work, but which one. He could use the female; kill her off and take her place.; or he could choose the elder male, and take his place.

"I'm not fired?" he heard the female say, as she left the building. He held his breath, hoping his plan wouldn't be ruined.

"No, Miss Evans" the man replied, to Loki's relief, "you are not. You succeeded in finding intel that I only wish that I could; it would be foolish of me to get rid of you now".

Loki smiled mischieviously; now he knew who his target was. The female would be crucial to his success; she knew more than anyone in her team about SHIELD, clearly enough to put her in danger of being let go. His target, would be the ruler of this operation, the elderly mortal. Loki's eyes glinted in satisfaction; this role would be fitting for him. He would be able to rule, as he always felt he was meant to, even it was only in a SHIELD facility, for the moment. I will blend in nicely, he thought.

"Get home safe" the mortal said, as he shut the door of the female's car, "no more funny business tonight".

"Will do, boss man" the female laughed, and she mocked the salute of a soldier. What a sly one, he thought to himself, smiling at the recognition of one of his own characteristics.

With that, the girl drove away, and vanished into the night. And Loki waited, until his prey was on the move. Just before the festivities began, Loki had an idea. He closed his eyes for a short second, to then find himself back in his Asgardian armor. One must be dressed appropriately for such an occasion, he thought wittily to himself. He waited, long enough to keep a safe distance, and urged the truck to life. Loudly, it clanged to a start, but the male was too far away to hear. Loki moved the truck into gear, and stalked his prey.

Part 4

As Gary Sanders pulled up the driveway of his glorious home, he felt as if something was wrong. The house was quiet...too quiet. He had no children or family, so his house never seemed cheery or full of life when he came home. He had always been a simple man who lived alone, and his house was a custom built modern marvel that was secluded on acres of land; the nearest house wasn't for miles. But he felt it, a gut feeling, that something was not right.

He quietly closed the door of his car, and slowly approached the dwelling. The sounds of night were strangely absent, everything was absolutely still. His worst fears were confirmed; his door was slightly ajar, but the latch was untouched. The house was all dark, not a light shining. Very uncharacteristic, seeing as Gary had timers in his house to turn the lights on before he made it home.

Robbers, he thought, and moved his hand to the holster on his belt. The cold, hard metal of his gun greeted his fingers, and he drew it out with slow precision as he entered. He held it in front of him, at the ready to fire. He set down his keys, phone, badge, and wallet; maybe he could use them to trick the burglar into taking them, so he could get a clear shot. He turned, making his way to the kitchen from the grand foyer, and as he turned, the image of a tall, slender man with devilish eyes gleaming in the darkness; it was as if they were ablaze, for they were the only thing Gary could see in the gloom.

"I would not fire that if I were you", the shadow said, in an accent Gary didn't recognize.

"Who are you?" Gary demanded, in a voice far from confident, "what are you doing in my house?"

"I am Loki" the shadow said, "and I have come on a mission".

"And what 'mission' is that?" Gary asked, his finger itching on the trigger.

The man stepped forward into the light, so that Gary could fully see him. He struck a menacing stance, with an aura of confidence that consumed the very room they occupied. The shining armor he wore only added to the overwhelming fear Gary felt in the man's presence. On his face, he wore a smug, satisfied grin.

"To kill you" Loki said, grinning with what Gary was afraid was excitement, barring his teeth in an odd imitation of a predator. With these words, Gary felt a cold rush around his neck of hands, strangling the air from his lungs. These hands, colder than human hands, made him feel as if his body were turning to ice merely by their touch. He saw the figure of Loki fade before him and disappear, as if had never been there at all, like a ghost.

And then...everything went dark.

Part 5

Loki let the old mortal's frozen carcass go as he felt the last breath of air leave his lungs. The body clattered to the ground, now a full chunk of ice.

He found this tactic easier to clean, and less of a trace that would lead to him. His extensive list of kills had given him plenty of time to develop his technique. He vigorously struck his hand towards the ground, and with a mighty bang that shook the earth, the frozen remains shattered into millions of pieces, and scattered in every direction. Evidence gone, no trail left behind.

Loki moved to the side table, where the man had placed his belongings. He fingered through every piece he could find, and with a magic swipe of his hand, changed it all to match his appearance and identity. The name would remain the same, for now, until he could think of another alias. But for the time being, he could blend in this way.

He surveyed his new prize, the house he would now be living in. He relished in the magnificence of it; it was a mortal's, but it was still grand to say the least. He majestically strode up the round staircase that lead to the bedroom, and began to undress.

A shower, he thought, was very much needed.


End file.
